Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. The journal follows internationally recognized standards of ethical publishing and editorial responsibility.

This statement applies to authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Editorial Responsibility and Independence
Editorial decisions are based exclusively on the scientific merit, originality, clarity, and relevance of the submitted work to the scope of the journal.

The Editor-in-Chief has final responsibility for all editorial decisions and ensures that these decisions are not influenced by commercial interests, institutional pressure, or personal relationships.

2. Peer Review Integrity
All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers.

Editors and reviewers must:
treat manuscripts as confidential documents;
declare any conflicts of interest;
evaluate submissions objectively and constructively.

The peer review process is conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical standards, including the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/

3. Authorship and Contributions
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study.

All authors must:
approve the final version of the manuscript;
agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work;
disclose their individual contributions in the manuscript.

Changes to authorship (addition, removal, or rearrangement) after submission are not permitted.

4. Originality, Plagiarism, and Self-Plagiarism
Submitted manuscripts must represent original work and must not be under consideration or published elsewhere.

The journal considers the following unacceptable:
plagiarism (verbatim or paraphrased);
self-plagiarism or redundant publication;
duplicate submission of substantially similar work.

All submissions may be screened using plagiarism-detection tools at any stage of the editorial process. Detection of plagiarism or self-plagiarism constitutes grounds for rejection or retraction.

5. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
To protect authors’ rights, research confidentiality, and the integrity of the peer review process, the journal does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT or similar systems) for:
peer review;
editorial decision-making;
confidential manuscript evaluation.

Authors are responsible for the full content of their manuscripts. Any future changes to this policy will be clearly announced on the journal website.

6. Data Integrity, Reproducibility, and Image Ethics
Authors must ensure that:
research data are accurately represented;
results are reproducible;
no data fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation has occurred.

Figures, tables, spectra, micrographs, and images must:
accurately reflect the original data;
not be misleadingly enhanced or altered;
be clearly described and properly cited if reused.

Any reuse of previously published material (including figures and tables) requires proper citation and permission where applicable.

7. Citation Ethics
Authors must:
properly cite all relevant prior work;
avoid excessive self-citation;
ensure that references are accurate and traceable.

Citation manipulation (e.g., coercive citation, irrelevant citation padding) is considered unethical behavior.

8. Research Involving Animals or Biological Materials
Manuscripts reporting research involving animals, microorganisms, or biological materials must:
comply with relevant national and institutional ethical regulations;
include a statement confirming ethical approval where applicable;
describe experimental procedures with sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility and ethical compliance.

Failure to provide appropriate ethical justification may result in rejection.

9. Conflicts of Interest
All authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of the work.

If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state this in the manuscript.

10. Handling of Misconduct, Complaints, and Appeals
Allegations of publication misconduct (including plagiarism, data manipulation, unethical research practices, or compromised peer review) are investigated by the editorial office.

When necessary, the journal may:
request clarifications or raw data;
consult independent experts;
contact authors’ institutions.

Complaints and appeals regarding editorial decisions are handled by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with COPE guidelines.

11. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern
The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Post-publication actions may include:
Corrections (Errata / Corrigenda) — for honest errors that do not invalidate results;
Retractions — for unreliable findings due to major error or misconduct;
Expressions of Concern — when serious issues are under investigation.

All notices will be clearly labeled, published promptly, and permanently linked to the original article.

12. Publisher Responsibility
The journal is published by the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, Bulgaria. The publisher supports ethical publishing practices and ensures editorial independence.

External Standards and References
The journal aligns its ethical policies with internationally recognized guidelines, including:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
https://publicationethics.org/

COPE Core Practices
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices